Sex Always Screws Up a Friendship
by Shunkaku Bu
Summary: A fanfic dedicated to my two favorite FY characters who never really had a chance together...orginally, the use of 'sex' in the title refered to gender, but the story evolved. Please read and review! Arigato!


A Yui-Tasuki fic! This is set up to take place after Miaka tries to kill herself and Tamahome gets back to normal. It's not for the younger reader as the rating states. I think it's cute. Please review and tell me what you think. Hope you enjoy! (PS The title comes from the musical 'Cabaret', which I was watching when I wrote most of this.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
When Tamahome came back to Konan, Tasuki was still injured, but had decided to do something for his miko. He had heard Miaka crying some nights, more often calling out the name 'Yui' than 'Tamahome.' *If I could just get Yui away from Nakago, we could talk about this and...*  
  
He got to the Kutou palace a few days later and immediately went about the task of finding his miko's best friend...and worst enemy. Seiryuu no miko was asleep in an identical uniform to Miaka's. He was stunned at the sight of her. He had only met once, just before Tamahome had beaten the crap out of him, but then she had seemed almost cruel. Now, in sleep, she looked like a shimensoka tenshi. Tasuki went over and lifted her up.  
"Tasuki!" The monk had whispered this cry, but he jerked anyway. The girl in his arms made as if to wake up. "What are you doing here? Miaka and-"  
"I was bringing her back to Miaka," he whispered fiercely and watched Yui fall back into deep sleep. He let out a sigh of relief. "What are you doing here?"  
"Trying to keep you alive, ya know. Now come on before we get caught."  
"Can you take both of us?"  
Chichiri smiled. "Of course!" He grabbed the bandit's arm and they all disappeared into his hat.  
  
Yui woke up and screamed. She was no longer in the school uniform she had fallen asleep wearing, no longer in her blue room in Kutou. She screamed until something broke inside her, the tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as the screams died away. She clutched the fabric of her new clothes.  
"Yui-chan?" Miaka asked softly, opening the bedroom door. "Oh Yui-chan, I heard you scream and I thought-" She was cut off by a slap across her face.  
"After what you let happen to me...after you lied to me, you still want to pretend to be my friend?!"  
Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I...Yui, you're my best friend and I did come back for you! I didn't think you had gotten pulled into the book. You know how I am, the thought never even crossed my mind. Then, when you didn't get home-" Miaka broke down in sobs.  
Yui had regained her composure, found her uniform, and began to dress. "You told Tamahome that you-"  
"Geez, can't ya be-"  
  
Tasuki was recovering from his little adventure. Mitsukake had healed the worst of his wounds, leaving him to sleep unaware of the bottle of sake under the bandit's bed. He passed out drunk and quite happy. Five hours later a girl screamed, waking him from his alcohol induced sleep. He fell heavily to the floor. "Ow...what the hell was that?" The fiery-haired man went off to investigate. He weaved down the hall and heard the voices of the two mikos coming from one of the rooms. Then Genro decided he would confront these loud girls from another world. "Geez, can't ya be-"  
  
Miaka looked from her friend, who completely topless and blushing, to her seishi, who was staring at Yui with a bloody nose. "Uh...Yui-chan? Tasuki, could you leave?"  
Seiryuu no miko had slid down onto the floor and began to cry, her face pressed into her shirt. "Mi...Mi..."  
"Tasuki!"  
He clapped his hands to his head. "Sorry! Don' yell! Women, yer all so goddamn demanding an' LOUD!" Then he looked at the other girl again. "What's all tha' cryin' about?"  
"Dammit, Tasuki, I said get out!!" Miaka ran him out of the room, shut the door, and went over to hold her friend. Yui jerked in her embrace. "Yui-chan, it's all right. I...no one will hurt you here, no one will use that against you. You aren't Seiryuu no miko...not unless you want to be."  
Yui gave a watery sigh. "Miaka...you're so trusting...you haven't had that shaken yet. I'm not who I was when I came into this world, remember that. I won't go back unless..."  
"Yui-chan," she said softly and brushed a tear off her cheek. "I want know everything..."  
  
"Stupid, stupid, stupid girls!" He wiped the drying blood off his face and scoffed. His head was still achy from his hangover, but there was something else. "Geez, why can't we have a normal miko with normal friends?"  
"What's the matter? The bandit having a bad day?" Tamahome was poking at him.  
"Shut up, ya little punk."  
"Ooooh, did Miaka diss you?" the blue-haired man teased.  
"No, she's in with her *friend*."  
"Yui? Yui's back here?" Tamahome's eyes got really wide. "You've gotta hide me!"  
"Oh, so yer scared Tama?"  
"No, but the girl's evil!"  
Tasuki looked at him for a minute. "She's Miaka's best friend."  
The blue-haired man switched topics. "What happened to your nose? Did Yui try to knock you out?"  
The bandit blushed a little and wiped at his nose. "No, I didn' even get near her."  
"I hear a 'but' coming."  
"THERE'S NO 'BUT'! MIAKA KICKED ME OUT!" he yelled.  
"You would get kick out by a girl."  
"You would be scared of a girl." He gave Tamahome an awkward little smile, showing a lot of fang. Still, he wasn't quite sure that they shouldn't be scared or at least suspicious of the Seiryuu no miko. Tamahome shrugged and went to find his miko.  
  
"You're telling the truth?"  
"Miaka, I wouldn't lie about this now. If you try to summon Suzaku tomorrow, you'll fail. One of your seishi is a fake." Yui rubbed her eyes. Their normally bright blue-green color was toned down fiercely by the redness from all the crying. "I don't know which one, but Nakago told me."  
"This is bad. He might try-" Miaka stood up quickly. "I'm going to get someone to guard you."  
"Miaka-"  
"Yui-chan, please...if you end up back in Kutou, we'll be enemies and Nakago will hurt you..." She began to think hard which brought a giggle from her friend. "None of the normal guards would be able to protect you, so..." Inspiration hit Suzaku no miko. "I know! I'll have Tasuki guard you!"  
"You actually think I'd be safe with a Suzaku seishi?" There was a look in her eyes, one that Miaka couldn't help but understand.   
"Yui-chan, he doesn't even like girls. I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."  
She sighed and nodded. "Just one thing: you have to postpone the summoning but don't give any hint that you know there's a spy here. You were always good at giving excuses, so I'm sure-" Seiryuu no miko was cut off when Suzaku no miko tackled her in a bear hug. They laughed.  
"All right. I'll get him here. Be nice."  
"I'll behave," she said, a little sarcastically.  
  
"No!" He shook his head. "I won' do it!"  
"Why not?" Miaka whined.  
"She's Seiryuu no miko! I'm supposed ta protect you *from her*!"   
"Yui-chan won't do anything. Besides, you brought her here and that pretty much puts her under your care. You don't like girls and she...well, just do it!"  
"Miaka!"  
"It's final, Tasuki. If I have to, I'll ask Hotohori to make it an order and then-"  
"Geez! Dammit, I'll do it, but if she tries anything-"  
"You come and get me. Now go." She watched him go back to the room where Yui was as he murmured something about how women were not worth any of the trouble they caused.   
  
Yui sat on the bed and Tasuki sat in a chair by the door. Three hours had passed since Miaka had sent him into the room and neither of them had said a word. "Why are ya actin' like such a bitch?"  
"Why are you such an asshole guard?"  
"I asked first!"  
"I don't care! Why don't you just leave? You don't have to be here!"  
Tasuki stood up, matching her volume. "Yeah, I hafta be here to watch ya because of yer stupid seishi!"  
Yui flushed and grew eerily quiet. "I didn't ask to be brought here. Someone took me from Kutou while I was asleep and I woke up here in Konan. You can tell whoever brought me all about it and leave me the fuck alone."  
Tasuki sat down, his anger subsiding a little. "Yea, well, it ain't that easy. Miaka wanted you back. She'd cry at night an' call out your name, but no one would do anything about it. I decided to."  
"*You* brought me here?" The bandit nodded. "Then why are you here if you hate me so much?"  
"I brought you here an' Miaka believes yer my responsibility now. That's the only reason."  
"Miaka..." They returned to staring off.  
About fifteen minutes later, Miaka came in to check on the situation. "Well, at least your both still alive." Nothing from the other two. "Yui?"  
"I'm *fine*."  
"Tasuki?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What was all that yelling about?"  
"Nothing!" they yelled in unison.  
Miaka sweatdropped. Yui and Tasuki stared at each other for a moment and then turned away. "All right...I'll bring you guys supper later. Bye."  
"See ya, Miaka."  
"Bye," the girl said softly. When the door shut, Yui pitched a pillow at him and then buried herself in the remaining bedclothes.  
"Women!"  
  
Miaka had cooked dinner for her best friend and her guard seishi, leaving it for them in the room they now lived in. Yui was very hungry, so she ate her friend's cooking. She was already nervous and that, along with Miaka's cooking, made her sick. "Seiryuu no miko, what's wrong?"  
"Nothing." Her face was pale and she turned away from him. "Leave me alone."  
Tasuki went over to the bed and the girl on it. He touched her forehead. "Ya shouldn've eaten her cookin'."  
"What do you care?" He locked eyes with her. "Yeah, Miaka. Just-" Yui covered her mouth and the bandit moved closer to her. That turned out to be a mistake. Seiryuu no miko's stomach gave in and everything came up. "Eww..."  
"Wha' was tha' for?"  
She closed her eyes. "Sorry."  
"C'mon." He slid an arm around her waist and the other under her knees. She began to protest. "I'm not gonna let you sit in this all night. Ya need ta be cleaned up an'..." He felt her go completely still, able only to feel her breathing and heartbeat. He took her outside, over to the pond that was off-limits at this time of night, after grabbing a robe for her. "Sei-"  
"My name is Yui. I'm not Seiryuu no miko anymore."  
Tasuki smiled a little and set her down. *I don' believe that. * He turned around. "Lemme know when ya get in. If ya don' hurry, the clothes'll get stained."  
"How did you-"  
"Geez, do ya hafta question everything? Just do it and I'll explain!" Yui stared at his back and he could feel her anger. She stripped off her clothes, threw them by his feet, and slid into the pond. "Sei- Ya in there yet?"  
"Yes." Tasuki picked up the pile of clothes and went to the edge of the pond. "Explain."  
"What?"  
"How do you know about the clothes getting stained?"  
He looked at her, his eyes lingering where her arms were held protectively to her chest. "My mother an' sisters. They taught me what they knew 'bout this stuff an' it stuck."  
"It must have been nice."  
"What?"  
"Having siblings." Tasuki gave her an odd look. "Having sisters."  
"No, it was a pain in the ass." He took off his shirt, put in near her clothes, and began to rinse off her shirt. "Ya know how they can be."  
"No, I don't." Yui sighed.  
"Ya don' have any sisters? Just brothers?"  
"I don't have either. Miaka's the closest thing I have to a sister."  
"Geez an' I thought that-" He was cut off when she splashed water into his face. "What'd ya do that for?"  
"I wanted you to shut up."  
"Ya coulda asked."  
Yui was totally serious. "Would you have listened?"  
"No." More water was splashed into his face. "Dammit, cut it out! Yer just like my sisters!"  
"Good."  
He shook his head in frustration and went about rinsing off the rest of the clothes, finally getting to his shirt. Then he realized she was staring at him. "What?"  
"Are you done yet?"  
"Just a minute. Geez-"  
"Say it one more time and I swear you won't want to fall asleep tonight." They locked eyes. Neither would give in, but they had both moved closer to each other. "You have no idea what it's like to be alone."  
"You have no idea wha' it's like ta never be alone." They both dropped their eyes at the same moment and Tasuki fell into the pond. "Dam-" He went under...then Yui pulled him up. "Yer trying ta kill me!"  
"I could always let you go." She made as if to do just that and he clung to her. Yui blushed. "Stand up, it's not that deep."  
"Wha-" His feet touched the ground and he was looking down at her. "Uh..."  
They both noticed that she was partially lifted out of the water. "If you don't let me go-" He lowered her and backed away to the bank. When he turned away to get out of the lake, Yui came closer to the bank and grabbed the robe. They returned to their room in silence. Nothing else could be said.  
  
Tasuki was restless. Miaka had visited them earlier and informed them that they we going to go searching for the remaining Suzaku seishi under the tale of searching for him. Now he and Yui were in a little cabin not too far from the palace so that no one would get suspicious. Yui had talked with Miaka the whole way and actually laughed a few times. "Yui-chan, don't kill him," Miaka whispered. "He won't do anything to-"  
"I know that." She smiled a little and looked at Tasuki.  
Then the cheerful Suzaku no miko was gone and her best friend was asleep. He had managed to get some sake before leaving (putting up with Yui was enough to make him drink even more in his mind), yet he didn't touch it. This was the third time he had felt like this, but only the second time he realized it. Of course the first time he had been too concerned with Miaka's well being to actually figure out his own thoughts. "Shimensoka tenshi," he said, ruffling her dirty blonde hair. "Miaka's Yui-chan." She curled into a ball and sighed. Daring as ever, he lifted the girl up, still wrapped in the blankets, and slid between her and the mattress. "Shimensoka tenshi, now I can tell you-"  
(Now tha' yer eyes are shut an' ya can' tell me ta shut up.)  
"-why I don' like you guys." She shifted, pressing herself against him more firmly. "My best friend an' I...we met this girl, Reirei." He recalled the events in his head and began to articulate his most inner feelings to the sleeping girl. A thought came to him, sudden and unbidden. *It's begun again...with Miaka, Tamahome, and Yui.* He found her hand entwined in his and lifted it. Along her wrist was a pink scar. Tasuki was shocked; Yui had come across to him as a cold, unemotional, and stable girl. He placed a light kiss on it and returned her to the bed. *Maybe this time...* The bandit felt more at ease of having told his story to someone else, even if she had been asleep and hadn't heard a word of it. Yet he had learned something about her as she slept.   
Tasuki fell asleep on the pile of blankets on the floor that served as his bed. Yui opened her eyes and watched him for a long time. He hadn't noticed in the week they had spent together that she was an incredibly light sleeper. She had heard everything. *You and Kouji are still best friends...after all that. Maybe there's hope for Miaka and I.* She watched until the sky began to lighten and fell into a deeper sleep than she had had since she arrived in the book.  
  
"What?" Tasuki was exasperated at being on lockdown because of the rain and Yui just kept looking at him. "Quit starin' at me!"  
"What's your name, your real name?"  
He blinked a few times. "Wha' do you care?"  
"That's my line. Anyway, you're not a seishi to me, so I don't see why I should refer to by that name."  
"What the hell do ya really want?" He began muttering to himself.  
She blushed, slightly tipping her head to the left. "Well, since you felt comfortable enough telling me about you, Kouji, and Reirei, I thought-"  
Tasuki looked at her, his face bright red with anger and embarrassment. "You-You-"  
"Go ahead and say it! Call me what you really think! I didn't make you tell me anything!"  
He went over to her and pulled her up by one arm until they were face to face. "Ya didn't have th' nerve ta even-"  
"Let me go!" Yui tried to get away, but his grip was too strong. "Let me GO!"  
"Not until you tell me some things. Ya have no right-" She used her free hand to slap his face. Tasuki grabbed it and forced her down on the bed. Yui stopped struggling and watched him with terror in her wide, tear-filled eyes. He saw the look. "Suzaku, they didn't let tha' happen..."  
"Let me go," she said without much force.  
"You were raped?" he asked softly.  
"You think I'd make that up?"  
"Yui-"  
"Get off of me!" He lifted her up. "Are you happy now? I can't even-"  
Tasuki let her go, but she didn't back away. "Yer seishi didn' find you until after?" Yui nodded slightly, avoiding eye contact. He grasped her wrist again, the one with the scar, and gently rubbed his thumb against it. "An' you did this?"  
"What do you care?"  
"Yui, yer here now and no one's gonna hurt you. Ya don' hafta keep everything to yerself."  
"Miaka knows..."  
"Shunu." He released her wrist and went to the other side of the room so he could look out the window. He could see a few constellations through the merciless rain. The brightest one was Karasuki, a Byakko star, the one Yui had called Orion.  
"What?" She looked at him curiously, pressing her scarred wrist to her heart. "Shunu?"  
"Ya know my name now." Tasuki sighed. "Ya don' hafta worry, I won't do tha' again."  
She said softly, "I was so angry at Miaka...every time something happened to her, I felt it. Then we switched places and the one time I-I-" Yui began to cry.  
"Geez, don' cry." He went over to her and tentatively took her in his arms. Her body was rigid as he held her, but she didn't pull away. "Yui?" He kissed the top of her head when she had fallen asleep. "Shimensoka tenshi...but there is forgiveness." He laid her down. The rain continued through the night, helping his transition into sleep easier than normal.  
  
The rain had been steady for three days and then broke early on their ninth day together. It was Tasuki's idea to go out into the woods for a picnic. They were enjoying themselves in the oddly silent way they tolerated each other's company. Then the rain came in again without warning. He instinctively grabbed and covered her as much as he could. They got back to the cabin, cold and soaked. Yui was pressed against him, shivering severely. "Look..." She pointed to his 'bed', which was now in a puddle of water leaking from the roof.  
Ignoring that, Tasuki said, "C'mon, if ya stay in those-"  
"I know." She picked up her robe, set it down, and opened the bag Miaka had given them.  
"What're you-" He was cut off by a robe to the face.  
Yui had already begun to strip off her wet clothes without any concern of the bandit watching. He did, briefly, before changing himself. They stood in the dark room watching each other. "It's not going to give up for a while."  
"No. Why don' ya-"  
"That wouldn't be right." They locked eyes for a second and then looked away.  
"If anything happens ta you-"  
"Nothing will happen." She took one of the sheets and tied it to the headboard and footboard of the bed. "See?"  
"All right. You first." He slid under two of the blankets after Yui had arranged herself on her side. The warmth was nice, but the smell in the blankets was overly intoxicating. Her scent was embedded there and he pressed his face against them. Suddenly a hand ran through his wet hair. "Yui?"  
"Um..." She was nearly completely asleep.  
"What do you want, shimensoka tenshi?" He kissed the palm of her hand. "Yui..."  
The sheet that had been dividing the bed lighted on his face. He brushed it away and was gently grabbed by his robe. "Sh." Her face was now against his chest, her warm body pressed to his. "Sh."  
The bandit stroked her hair, afraid to touch her elsewhere. "Oh Yui." When her lips brushed his chest goose bumps ran all the way up his body. He let his hands go around her waist and they locked there when she didn't pull away. *Be good, Tasuki. Anything happens ta her an' it's yer hide.* Her soft, warm breath became steady against him. He bent his head down slightly to place a kiss along her neck, her cheek, and the top of her head. She was at peace, his shimensoka tenshi, and for now that was all that mattered.  
  
"Yer cute, ya know that?"  
Yui blushed. "Cut it out." His hands had been stroking her torso venturing up to her small firm breasts occasionally, but now he stopped. "I didn't mean that."  
"Oh, so ya mean stop sayin' yer cute?"  
"Yes." She pulled his face down to hers. The kiss was invasive, at least on her end. She ran her tongue along his fangs and he suddenly pulled away. "What is it?"  
"I don' think..." He brushed the hair away from her forehead. "I don' wanna have you hurt because I don' understand how I feel."   
She sighed. "What is it?"  
"Miaka." He felt her tense a little in his arms.  
*Everyone loves Miaka here...no one will ever-*  
"Yui, listen ta me. It's not like that." He touched her cheeks. "I'm a Suzaku seishi an' I'll always be bound ta my miko. That's...that's a different kinda feelin'." His lips moved gently against her throat.  
"Oh." Yui let her hand run down his chest.  
"Don' start that." Tasuki kissed her deeply, pressing her firmly to him. *The devotion of a seishi ta his miko is deep...but there's a deeper devotion...oh, Yui.* His hand played along the line of her panties. Her hand covered his. "Yui?"  
"Shunu..." There was a twinkle in her eyes, but behind it was fear.  
"Alright." He ran his fingertips up her torso to her chin and gently kissed her again. Tasuki watched her eyes close as her cheeks became pink with a blush. "Shimensoka tenshi," he murmured giving her neck nipping little kisses. "Time for sleep, darlin'."  
"But I..." He watched her carefully and curiously. Yui took his hand, gently replacing it over the thin fabric covering her sex. She pressed down a little.  
"I can'...not if ya-"  
Her face was still pink and her voice trembled as she said, "Don't start that, not now."  
He started slowly, cupping her sex in his hand. Yui moaned softly. "Oh, Yui..." They pressed against each other, kissing deeply as the heat ran along their bodies. Impatiently, Tasuki tore away her panties. She gasped as he thrust his fingers into her. "Yui..." Her hands ran down his chest to his waist where she grasped his sides beginning to knead his warm, firm skin. He stopped and moved his hand from her.  
"If you stop now," she breathed against his ear. "I'll never forgive you, especially since you ruined the only panties I had."  
He smiled, going as slowly as he could. As her breathing became more and more hurried, he worked faster. She screamed out his name in climax as thunder boomed in the night air. She collapsed against him. "Well..." Tasuki ran his hand along her sex again and then moved it away. "Yui..."  
"Um..." She blushed, pressing against him, feeling him hard against her. Yui's blush became crimson.  
"Yer cute...an' funny. Was it worth it?" he murmured. Tasuki realized she could feel his arousal, but neither said anything nor would do anything about it. Her face came to rest where she could hear his heartbeat.  
"Yes," she whispered against his chest. *God, I love you.*  
"Don' look so sad...I won' leave you." He ran a hand along her sweaty back and locked his arms around her in a tight embrace. *Somethin' about you won' let me...* He saw her eyes once more before she fell into sleep and thought that he saw contentment there. Tasuki kissed her forehead before settling into sleep himself.  
  
"Will this rain ever stop?" Yui sighed. She was sitting on the windowsill in her white uniform shirt, legs tucked beneath her.  
He looked her from their bed. "Yea. It won' last forever."  
"Maybe tonight," she whispered. She said this softly, almost reverently, looking down at her pale bare knees.  
"What?" Tasuki went over to her. "Yui, don' start this." He watched her lift her face and saw the strange smile that was there. "Yui?"  
She slid off the sill graceful as a cat and pressed herself against him. He was stunned for a moment before trying to pull away, but heard her whisper, "Don't."  
"Why're ya teasin' me like this?" he murmured against her throat. Her heartbeat was fast against his lips.  
"I'm not." She ran a hand under his shirt, feeling him tense with the featherlight touch.  
"Yui..." Tasuki's eyes locked with hers. As always, there was a trace of fear in those blue-green eyes, but there was an overwhelming amount of desire in them too. "Yer still scared. I can' promise I won' hurt ya, but I'll try not ta."  
"I know." Yui pressed against him again, this time feeling what she wanted to feel. "Please..." He lifted her up, carrying her to the bed and gently setting her down. Tasuki leaned over her. Their lips touched briefly as they were both interested in other things. His hands diligently rid Yui's body of the shirt she was in. She was tugging at his shorts, but he stopped her and removed them himself. Yui blushed fiercely.   
He touched her cheek, holding his shorts against his sex. "You haven' seen...do ya still want ta?" She nodded. He laid down next to her, stroking her pale bare skin. "Alright..."  
"Ah, wha-" Her eyes widened as he draped her leg over his waist and entered her. "Ah...oh Shunu..." He pressed her against him. Yui cried out a little as a sharp pain ran through her. Then she began to moan in pleasure and rocked against him a little.  
He moved with her, stopping when she jerked a little. "Are you alright?" She was shaking violently. "Yui?" he asked in a small scared voice.  
"Shunu!" The girl began to cry, her face pressed into his chest.  
Tasuki opened his mouth to say something, but his voice caught. Tears ran down his cheeks and his chest. He closed his eyes as he lowered his face towards hers. "Yui, say somethin'. Please, don'..."  
"I can't...I can't..." Her body was shook with her sobs.  
"I won' let you go, not if ya don' want me to." *Suzaku, I love her, but I-* Her sobs were dying down and she gently rocked against him. He fell into the slow motion with her. Tasuki cupped the back of her head, lifting her face so he could see it. There was nothing he could read on it, not in her eyes, not in her tears. "Wha' happened?"  
"I don't know." Whatever it was, he had felt it too, running through him like his own blood. Their motion sped up a little and she moaned. He was almost ready too. "Oh please..." He could feel her body reacting, but knew full well that her mind was going through something similar. Then it happened. Yui came first as she pressed her face to his, their lips touching gently before he came and crushed her to him. "Oh, my..." She blushed, watery eyes spilling over.  
He wiped the fresh tears off her cheeks. "Was it really tha' bad?" he asked, a slight smile on his face.  
She gently kissed his chest. "No." She shivered. He hugged her close one last time, slid out of her, and covered them with one of the blankets. "Thank you."   
"Yui..." Tasuki watched her. She was soon asleep, unconsciously moving closer to him until her sweat slick back was against him. "No..." The sobs shook him and he wrapped his arms around her. *Suzaku, don' leave me. Don' ever.* He drifted. Neither of them noticed the crimson stains on the sheets after they awoke or when they washed them.  
  
"Yui?" Sunlight was coming into the room, but she was nowhere in sight. "Yui, where the hell-" Tasuki slipped on his pants and went out looking for her. "Yui!"  
"I'm over here." Yui was lying on a blanket, her torso wrapped in a sheet as she sunbathed. One of her feet was splashing the water.  
"Don' do tha'! I thought-" She cut him off with a kiss, the sheet starting to slide down her body. He grabbed at it, inadvertently groping her chest. "Umm..." He blushed.  
"You're..."  
"Uh, oh, sorry!" He pulled back, taking the sheet with him. Her body was completely tanned and she was blushing too.  
"Um, could I have that back?" He handed it back to her. "Thank you."  
"You were really that worried?"  
"Well, yeah, I..."  
She clenched the sheet to her chest, looking down at herself. "Uh, well..."  
"Hey, wha'd ya come out here? I mean yer seishi-"  
"They're not my seishi and they're not coming for me." *They never really needed me.* She took a step back, dropping the sheet, and fell into the pond.  
"Yui!" He knelt by the pond and she came up. "Suzaku, why'd you-"  
"It broke the tension, didn't it?" She lifted herself up a little and kissed his lips. "Come in?"  
"Ya know I can' swim," he said softly.  
"I won't let you drown. I promise." He shook his head, smiling a little. "C'mon."  
Tasuki shook his head again, but this time he was laughing a little. "Alright, just fer a little while." Yui splashed around while she waited for him to get in. He tentatively slid in. "How'd ya talk me into this?"  
"My charisma. Come here." Yui met him halfway. They touched each other as if they had never done it before. He lifted Yui so he could slip into her easier and she whispered, "Not yet." Tasuki set her back down letting her lead him to the other side of the pond where there was a tree. He clung to her when they hit a deep spot and she kissed his hand to let him know it was all right.   
When they reached the other side, she slipped away from him. "Yui?" He was hit with a big spray of water. Tasuki wiped the water from his eyes and saw she was gone. As he moved forward he thought, *Dammit, where'd she-*  
A hand touched his navel and a warm, smooth body pressed against his back. "Were you going somewhere?" she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. Her hand ventured lower.  
"Ta look fer you," he breathed. Yui's fingertips played up his inner thigh, brushing his sex occasionally. "Oh, Yui..." She ran her other hand up his chest as she gripped him. Tasuki moaned and shuddered involuntarily. "Please..."  
"What do you want?"  
He ran his hand down her arm to where she held him. Gently, he took her off of him. She drew back suddenly, but he locked his fingers in hers. Tasuki pulled her in front of him. "Yui."  
"Wha-" Yui was pressed to him, involved in a full body kiss.  
Stroking the small of her back, he murmured, "Why'd ya have me come out here?"  
"It's cooler over here and...we'll have more support." He saw the slight twinkle in her eyes and knew what she meant. Yui was lifted again as he slipped into her and pressed her against the tree. "You catch on quick." She moved against him slowly, her legs locked around his waist as he moved inside her.  
"Oh Yui," he murmured against her throat through nipping little kisses there. When Tasuki felt her body reacting, he slowed. She, on the other hand, sped up. They came seconds apart and Tasuki turned, resting his back against the tree. "Yui, Yui, Yui," he said against her cheek.  
"Oh, Shunu," she murmured. They stayed there resting for an unknown amount of time when something peculiar happened. The water around them turned white, a brilliant light that made them close their eyes. "What the-" It was gone as soon as it came. "Did you do that?"  
He shook his head, looking a little frightened. "We should go back now." Yui agreed and they set off for the cabin.  
  
He watched her from the windowsill as she slept. In his hand was a necklace, one of his in fact, which he was debating over using. "Shunu, if you don't stop that I'm going to come over and kill you so I can sleep."  
"Yui!"  
She turned over, her eyes half-opened. "What's the matter? If there's something on your mind, then tell me." She yawned and stretched.  
"Yeah." He clutched the jewelry in his hand. "I just don' want ya ta...well, most people thin' I'm an asshole-"  
"I already stated my position on that subject." Tasuki sighed and looked out the window. "I'm sorry. You're being so serious. Go ahead."  
"I just don' want ya ta think tha' for askin' this."  
"What could you possibly ask to make me think that? It's not like you're going to ask me to marry you, Shunu."  
He closed his eyes when he heard her words, holding the necklace to his chest. Softly he said, "Why wouldn't I?"  
"Well, you-" It finally clicked and her eyes widened. "You're asking me to marry you?!?!"  
Tasuki turned to her. "Well, I was, but ya sorta pissed me off."  
"But..." She went over to him. "Shunu?"  
"Do ya still thin' I'm an asshole?"  
Her lips brushed against his. "I already stated my position on that subject."  
Tasuki ran a hand up her waist and she gasped. "Just consider it." She put her hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes to measure his sincerity. It was total.  
"There's no consideration needed." Yui smiled brightly. "Well, are you going to ask?"  
"Are ya gonna be serious?" She nodded. "Yui, will you marry me?"  
"Yes." Yui placed a light kiss on his cheek.  
He held out the necklace and blushed. "I don' have a ring, so this'll hafta do."  
She kissed him. "What it is doesn't matter, but it'll mean nothing if you don't put it on yourself." He slipped it around her throat, kissing her lightly there as he did. "I really do love you."  
"I-" The words caught in his throat. "Oh Yui, I..."  
"Sh. Now let me sleep."  
He touched her bare waist again. "Are ya sure that's what ya wanna do?"  
"Well, maybe..." She gasped as he lifted her up. "My, are we forward?"  
"It's th' only way ta be with you." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "Yer not so shy anymore either."  
"Um, should I be?" He laughed. They made love for a long time. Tasuki watched her after she had fallen into contented sleep and thought, *I love you an' I always will.*  
  
Miaka and Tamahome came to get their friends after their journey. Suzaku no miko was surprised at how healthy her friend looked and the fact that neither of them were dead. However, she didn't notice the necklace around Yui's neck or the fact that the bow from her uniform was missing. Miaka was going on about how excited she was to finally be able to summon Suzaku.  
Tasuki and Tamahome, however, walked along quietly. They watched the girls like they were afraid they'd disappear or be taken away at any given moment. "Ya found th' last seishi?"  
"Yeah, we did. He's coming to the palace tonight." He looked at Yui. "I can't believe you survived her."  
He looked at Tamahome and said, "She's not as bad as tha'."  
"She tried to kill Miaka," Tama countered.  
"You tried ta kill Miaka an' me," Tasuki shot back.  
"I wasn't myself. I had been given kodocu and had no real control over-"  
"She was brainwashed too."   
He blinked. "Well, maybe so, but..." Tamahome glanced at her again. "I don't think I've ever seen her this happy. Something's different about her now."  
Tasuki clasped the side of his belt where Yui's blue bow was. "Wha' do ya mean? She's probably just glad ta see her friend again."  
"That's not it. I don't know how to explain it."  
Miaka took Yui's hand and squeezed it. "I'm just so excited."  
"You should be. You've worked so hard for all this." She smiled.  
"Yui-chan," she whispered. "What's wrong? I haven't seen you like this since..." Miaka tried to think of a time when her friend had been this happy, but she couldn't dredge one up. "Well, you seem really happy and I don't think it's just the summoning."  
"Miaka, you're reading too much into this. I'm just happy that we're not enemies anymore." Yui squeezed her hand. It took everything for her not to touch the necklace around her throat. This was their secret for now, at least until the summoning was over. The former Seiryuu no miko wanted to look back at him and almost couldn't resist. "That's all."  
"All right." She looked at her a little warily though. "Still, I don't want you alone until after the ceremony, is that all right?"  
"Okay! Okay!" Yui squeezed her hand again. "But I'm sure nothing will happen!"  
  
The Eve of the Summoning  
  
When he came in her room, she kissed him instantly. They were alone again and it was a wonderful experience. "Um, wha' was tha' for?"  
"You didn't like it?"  
"Oh, no," he said, tracing a finger down her cheek. "Wha' if it hadn't been me?"  
"I wouldn't have kissed anyone else." She rested her head against his chest. Yui became very still as she listened to his heartbeat.  
"Yui, are you alright?" He stroked her hair lightly.  
"Um, yes." They both heard the footsteps coming towards the room and they pushed away from each other. Tasuki sat down in the chair and Yui went over to the bed. When Miaka came in, they were just as they had been their first day together.  
"Uh, are you guys all right? I mean, it's awfully quiet and last time you guys were...um..." She sweatdropped. "What's going on? What are you two up to?"  
"Nothing!" they yelled in unison.  
Suzaku no miko looked at them, confused. "Okay...um, well, goodnight. If you need anything, I'll be around."  
Yui blushed and looked down at herself. Her seishi smiled and said, "Don' worry. Nothin'll happen tonight."  
"Uh-huh." *I still think you guys are still up to something.* "Oh, well. Goodnight." She left them.  
He went over to Yui and gently kissed her cheek. "Nothin'll happen tonight. Now, get some rest."  
"All right." She brought their lips together briefly, running a hand down his chest. "Nothing will happen." Yui changed into a nightgown and slid between the sheets.  
He watched her sleep, clutching her necklace with two fingers. She hadn't taken it off once since he had placed it around her neck as far as he knew and he smiled at that. Then he went over to her in the twilight, sitting on the bed hoping that she would and wouldn't wake up, and when she didn't he laid down next to her. Tasuki ran his fingertips down her arm to her own fingers. They locked around each other and Yui released the necklace. "My shimensoka tenshi, I love you," he whispered against her throat.  
"I love you too," Yui murmured. Tasuki's eyes widened at this, but stayed quietly beside her knowing she meant it. She pressed his hand to her stomach and they fell asleep just like that.  
  
The Summoning...  
  
Miaka was getting ready for the ceremony and, because she was so busy, sent Chiriko to give Tasuki and Yui their breakfast. The boy knocked on the door softly. Tasuki stirred, but was still too down to deep to be awakened by the slight sound. The girl opened her eyes slightly, but stayed in the warmth of her lover.  
"Tasuki, I-" Chiriko froze in the doorway when he saw the two on the bed together. The tray shook in his hands and they both snapped up.  
"Chiriko!"  
"Suboshi!"  
They looked at each other briefly. Chiriko dropped the tray and began to run down the hallway. "Yui, stay here!"  
"But-" He was already out of the room and she began to follow him. The three weren't too far apart, but she was enough behind to have lost them. Yui was out in the courtyard, looking around for either Tasuki or the boy.  
"Well, well, well. It's about time you came back to us."  
Yui's eyes widened as she whirled and was grabbed by Nakago. "No! I-"  
"Yui!" Tasuki reappeared, cocking the tessen in Nakago's direction. "Let her go," he growled.  
"She's no concern of yours, Suzaku seishi. This isn't your miko." He smirked and then pressed the girl's lips to his. Yui froze, scared to death. "Amiboshi."  
A melody filled the air causing Seiryuu no miko and Tasuki to fall asleep. Nakago motioned for Amiboshi to pick up the fallen seishi and they left the palace undetected.  
  
Miaka went to the room where her best friend and one of her seishi had been. She knocked on the door and opened it, saying, "Okay, you two, it's time-" She screamed.   
"Miaka! What's-" Tamahome stopped when he looked into the room. "They took Yui?"  
"It was Chiriko...he was...he was the fake and I..." She began crying.   
Hotohori, Nuriko, Chichiri, Mitsukake (with Tama-neko on his shoulder), and the real Chiriko appeared. "Miaka, Tasuki's gone! Where could he have-"  
"They're both gone and I think I know where they are," she sobbed.  
"Is she back in Kutou? Did they come into my palace and take one of our seishi?" Hotohori asked angrily.  
"Yes." Miaka stopped crying and began to stomp off. "Miaka!"  
"They have all their seishi and they have Yui! If we don't go stop them now-"  
"Suzaku no miko!" Taiitsukun's voice made her whirl and the seishi (except for Chichiri) gave a little squeak. "Listen to me. If you try to stop their ceremony, you will fail. However, if you go to their palace, you will be able to summon Suzaku."  
"But we don't have Tasuki. How-"  
"We'll be close enough to Tasuki to be able to summon Suzaku," Chiriko piped up.  
"Correct Chiriko. You will have to hurry." The controller of the worlds disappeared.  
Miaka looked at Chichiri, who nodded, and they were off.  
  
Yui had gone through the purification ceremonies and now was standing where she would summon Seiryuu. Tears fell steadily down her cheeks. *Don't hurt him. Please don't let him be hurt because of me.* As if to answer her thoughts, Nakago and the other six seishi came in with Tasuki in tow. He had been beaten, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. He looked up to where she was, smiling a little. She tried to smile, but only tasted her own tears. "Nakago-"  
"Don't even start, Yui-sama. It won't work and if you try to fool us again, *he* will bear your punishment."  
"Not like it matters ta ya, but anythin' ya do ta me, I'll pay you back double." Nakago kicked him in the ribs and he doubled over, spitting out blood.  
"Anymore smart remarks?" the blonde general hissed in his ear. Tasuki could only cough. "Chain him up there." He pointed to a wall that was perfectly due east, to where Yui would have to face. He called in a guard, gave him whispered orders, and then went to Seiryuu no miko. "Yui-sama, you're a smart girl, but you're naive. That seishi over there is only protecting you because he was ordered to and a seishi cannot disobey one given by his miko." He grasped the necklace with two of his fingers and snapped it. The beads toppled to the floor after they had rolled down her chest. She gasped and Nakago smirked. "Just do what you were born for. If you stop, if you even try to betray us, that man will suffer. I will kill him myself and have you watch."  
"I...I won't."  
"Good." He pressed his lips to hers again, enjoying the fear in her eyes and the taste of her tears. "Then let's begin." The seven seishi surrounded her, Nakago directly behind her.  
"Yui, don' do it! Don' let him-" Something bashed him in his stomach and he retched stomach acid and blood.  
Yui wiped her eyes and mouthed, 'I love you...I'm sorry.' "The four palaces of the heavens, the four corners of the earth, in the name of sacred law, faith, and virtue..."  
"Yui..." he whispered.  
  
"Miaka!"  
"I can feel him!"  
"Then start."  
"The four palaces of the heavens, the four corners of the earth, in the name of sacred law, faith, and virtue..."  
  
Tasuki drew in a sharp breath. He felt that the summoning of Suzaku was beginning. The voices of the two girls were like a round, Yui's voice first.  
"I summon thee-"  
*I summon thee-*  
"Seiryuu, guardian of the East-"  
*Suzaku, guardian of the South-*  
"Too bad that man has suffered so much on your behalf. He could have been the one to take your virginity, Yui-sama."  
Yui's voice caught. She hesitated for a second, but continued, unaware that she and Miaka were now speaking in unison. "Descend to us now!"  
The sky became dark. Red light shot out from the sky, surrounding Miaka. Yui, on the other hand, stood there with the wind blowing around her, then white light emanated from beneath her and engulfed her. "Yui!"  
"No!" she screamed before she disappeared.   
"It's that same light again," Tasuki said. He moved his wrist, making his hand as small as possible, letting his hand slip free. Quickly, he drew the tessen and surrounded himself with flames. His other hand came free and he brought down the fan along his guard's neck. Then, Tasuki collapsed to his knees. The Seiryuu seishi, realizing they no longer had their powers, quickly disappeared.  
Red light flashed in the room and his miko, along with the rest of the seishi, appeared. "Tasuki!" Miaka ran over to him and saw the tears flowing down his cheeks. "What happened to Yui?"  
  
*It's that same light again,* Yui thought as she closed her eyes. Unbearable pain ran through her body and she cried out.   
(My name's Yui.)  
(I'm Miaka! Wanna be friends?)  
*Why am I thinking of this? What-*  
(Yui, you're my best friend.)  
*My best friend...*  
(Yer cute...an' funny.)  
*Shunu...*  
(Shimensoka tenshi...but there is forgiveness.)  
*Forgive me for leaving you...*  
(We should go back now.)  
*That light...why that light again?*  
Pain shot through her again and then there was nothing.  
  
"What happened to-" Suzaku no miko was cut off by a bright light. The figure that stood there looked almost like her friend, but she and Tasuki both knew it wasn't her.  
The figure turned, a white and black striped tail whipping against her legs. "Suzaku no miko, congratulations on your success." It was a man's voice.  
"Um, thank you, but...um, who are you?"  
"What happened to Yui?" Tasuki yelled.  
"I am Byakko and Yui."  
"What?!" all the seishi yelled with Tasuki and Miaka.  
She smiled and gave a flick of her tail. A red light flashed beside the feline-like girl. Suzaku had appeared. "So are you here to try to stop me?"  
"She broke one of the sacred laws."  
Still with a little smile on her face, Byakko-Yui stated, "She was not informed of the laws. She was forced into the summoning."  
"She had a choice."  
"She chose the lesser of two evils, one in which she would sacrifice everything for the ones she loves. If she had not made the choice she did, you would have not been summoned."  
Suzaku grimaced. "True."  
Miaka was confused. "What law did she break? What do you mean?"  
"To summon a beast god, you must be a virgin," Byakko-Yui said nonchalantly. "Even so-"  
"But if Yui was raped, why would they-"  
Tasuki cut her off. "She was never raped. Nakago told her that during the ceremony."  
"Then how?" Suzaku no miko looked at the beast god she had summoned.  
"Even so," the god in Yui's body continued as if it hadn't been interrupted, "I will not allow her to die simply because she was uninformed. If it takes my being forsaken, I will-"  
"You were always so dramatic, Byakko. I will not prevent you from doing this and neither will the others."  
"Why are you taking such an interest in her?" Tamahome asked. "What possibly-"  
"How can Yui not have been a virgin?" Miaka asked again.  
Tasuki blushed and looked down, not saying anything. Byakko-Yui smiled. "Because the would-be miko is carrying one of my seishi."  
"WHAT?!?" Everyone yelled it and the bandit jerked noticeably. "YUI'S PREGNANT?!?"  
"Yes. That is why I intervened."  
Miaka piped up again. "Tasuki! How could you have let-"  
"Tasuki?" Nuriko asked. "Tasuki, you didn't..." The lavender-haired seishi noticed what no one else had for two days: the little blue bow on Tasuki's belt. "You did."  
Light dawned in Suzaku no miko's eyes. She shook her seishi violently as she squealed, "How could you have done that to Yui-chan? I trusted you!"  
"Miaka!" Tamahome's voice made her drop the fiery-haired bandit. He moaned. "Do you really think Yui would allow that to happen and *not* tell you?"  
"No, I guess not, but..."  
"Tasuki's gonna be a daddy! Tasuki's gonna be a daddy!" The lavender-haired man lifted Tasuki in a bear hug. He moaned again.  
Byakko-Yui sweatdropped and looked at Suzaku. "They are the ones?"  
"Yes." Suzaku sighed.  
The feline god held out a hand, gesturing for Tasuki. Nuriko set him down. He went over to her, weakly smiling and weaving a little from his wounds. The girl smiled brightly. In an instant they were in each other's arms and the two disappeared in that white light. "Huh?" Miaka was confused again.  
"They will be at the palace when you return. Now, unless you have need of me for your third wish, I shall take my leave."  
"Goodbye, Suzaku!" Miaka squeaked and waved.  
"She is so..."  
  
Two weeks later...  
  
She moved slightly and Tasuki kissed her cheek. "Yui? My shimensoka tenshi, are you gonna wake up?"  
Yui snapped awake and jerked in his embrace. "Shunu?" she asked softly. "Where..."  
"Yer in Konan." He turned her gently to face him. "We...ya did it. You let us..."  
"Why are you..." She took hold of his shirt, pulling him down to her. He stopped her. "What happened?"  
"Wha's th' last thing ya remember about tha' day?"  
"White light...I was hurt and then-" She shook her head. "Nothing."  
"Tha' was two weeks ago. We were afraid ya weren' gonna wake up." Tasuki looked at her in a strange way.  
"What aren't you telling me? There's something-" Yui gasped as his warm fingers lighted just above her navel. She pressed his hand firmly under hers. "Shunu, how can...how would you know?"  
"The white light ya remember, tha' was Byakko. Yer not being a virgin meant ya broke sacred law an' ya..." He paused, blushing a little. "Byakko saved ya because of his seishi." He held her close, rubbing her stomach gently. "Our baby."  
Yui extracted herself from his embrace and turned away. She was confused and hurt. *Our baby...* She felt the tears begin to fall down her cheeks and hugged her arms over her chest. Then a thought came to her. "A Byakko seishi," Yui whispered.  
"Yui, are you alright?"  
"Could you let me be alone for a while?"  
Tasuki brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and kissed that spot. "Alright, but Miaka wants ta see ya first. She wants ta know yer fine." She nodded slightly, eyes closed. He sighed and went to get her friend.  
When Miaka came in, Yui was lying still on the bed. "Yui-chan?"  
"I'm awake, Miaka. I'm fine."  
"Then why are you crying?"  
"I..." She touched her stomach. "Why did you want to see me?"  
Knowing she would get nowhere trying to grill her friend, Suzaku no miko went over to her. "Do you want to stay here? In the book?" Yui didn't say anything. "I want to know what you want. If you want to go back-"  
"What about Tamahome?"  
"Right now this is about you and me."  
"I don't know. I don't know anything right now."  
Miaka touched her friend's shoulder. "Well, just think about it. I'll come by later with something for you to eat. Don't worry, I won't cook it!" That got a small laugh from her friend. "Yui-chan..."  
"All right, Miaka." She closed her eyes and Suzaku no miko left. Yui, finally alone and awake to feel everything that came down on her, pressed a pillow to her face to stifle her sobs. She was careful to stay on her side. She thought about what would happen if she and Miaka went back to their world. She would give birth to a child when she was barely sixteen, most likely without any support from her parents. Yet the overwhelming thought that helped her decide was this: even if she had Miaka as her best friend, she couldn't bear losing her child and her lover.  
  
Nine months later...  
  
"Tasuki! Sit down, she's fine." Miaka was just as anxious to find out how Yui was doing, but she was handling it better than the expectant father. "Besides, Mitsukake won't let anything happen to either of them."  
"He just doesn't want to get the news that he has a daughter," Tamahome teased. Nuriko smacked him. "Hey, what was that for?"  
"It's his first kid and Yui's first, so he's not sure what to expect. Besides that..." The lavender-haired cross dresser looked at his miko. "Didn't Yui say something about how long it had been?"  
Miaka nodded. "Yeah, she should have had the baby a month ago. Things can go wrong with-"  
"Miaka!" Tasuki yelped. "Don' say thin's like tha'."  
"Why do think *you're* out here?" Nuriko sat the bandit in a chair forcefully.  
They all grew quiet, thinking of how Yui had been that morning. The ten-months pregnant girl had gotten so angry at Tamahome when he had made some comment on her weight, going as far as trying to punch him, but she had gone into labor before she got a chance. She had been as forceful, willful, and stubborn as ever, allowing only Mitsukake to tend to her. When her husband (they had been married shortly after the summoning) had begun to protest, she just looked at him and he stopped. The doctor seishi would come out as soon as the delivery was over and that was the final say in the matter. That had been five hours ago.  
"Do ya thin' she's-"  
"Yui's fine," Miaka assured him for the thousandth time. The door came open then, Mitsukake entering with a tiny bundle in his arms. "Finally! See, there was nothing to-"  
Tasuki went over, totally ignoring his miko in favor of his child. "Is it..." Mitsukake handed over the child. "Oh..."  
"It's a boy."  
Tamahome shook his head and Miaka clapped her hands happily. Nuriko looked at the father and softly said, "Tasuki?"  
He looked up at the doctor. "What's wrong with him?"  
The newborn hadn't moved or made a sound since he had been presented to his father. He had one of his tiny thumbs in his mouth. Mitsukake blew lightly on the boy's face, making wisps of his fine amber hair move. The baby moved his free hand in front of his face, making a soft squeak with closed eyes. "He's sleeping."  
"Aw...he's so cute," Miaka cooed.  
Nuriko placed an arm around Tasuki's shoulder. "He's little...and he looks like his mother."  
"How is she?" Tamahome asked.  
Tasuki stopped cuddling his son, who had returned to still sleep, and looked at Mitsukake again. "She wants to see you. She's doing fine."  
Miaka, Nuriko, and Tamahome looked worriedly at him before he left.   
  
When he entered the room, Yui was sitting up in the bed. The sheet was pulled up to her waist, tucked underneath the shirt she had taken from him when she had outgrown her clothes. He saw a flash of bright orange up by her pale chest. "Yui?"  
"Well, Shunu, now would you like to meet your daughter?"  
"Daughter?"  
She touched the face of the infant at her breast and she squeaked. The girl began mewing, reaching out for her dad. "Well, how about you take her and I'll take Miyu."  
"Miyu? Wait a second-"  
The boy began to bawl, mixing with his twin's mewing. They exchanged children, both becoming quiet. "He's named after Miaka...he was first. Why don't you name her?"  
"Miaka? Miyu? How'd you get Miyu from Miaka?" he asked.  
"Mi-aka Yu-ki. Miyu." Yui had begun feeding the boy on the other side of her chest. "He's so..."  
"Maow, maow, maow," the fiery-haired infant was squawling as she squirmed in her father's arms. "Maow, maow, maow!"  
"Yer a loud one. Yer a little kitten," he said brushing hair off her forehead. "Mao."  
"Mao and Miyu?" she asked, gently rubbing Miyu's head. The boy tried to push her hand away from his hair, looking up at her as he continued to nurse. "Little strange one."  
"Maow?" Mao squeaked one last time. Then she was resting against her father's shoulder, their orange hair tangling together.  
"Yea, he is." Yui smiled, moved over a little on the bed, and repositioned Miyu (who had finished nursing). Tasuki sat beside her. He leaned over and kissed her firmly, still cradling his daughter in his arms. "Ya don' know how much I've wanted ta do that since this mornin'."  
She kissed him again. "Yes, I do." She rested her head against his chest, noticing that the infant girl had fallen asleep. "You calmed her down."  
"I guess." Miyu looked up at his mother and father curiously. He had both of his thumbs in his mouth and made a small squeaking sound, more mouse-like than his sister. "Was it hard? I mean..."  
"For her, yes." She touched Mao's fine, fluffy hair and the girl pressed herself into her father's chest. "Miyu sort of..." The boy was looking at her interested and so was his father. "I'm not quite sure, he just...appeared." They looked at the smaller twin, who had a knowing smile on his face and then looked away shyly. Yui laughed.  
"Is he the one?"  
"I don't know. I didn't see a mark on either of them, but does it really matter?"  
"No." He leaned in to kiss her again, but Mao gave out a little squawl. Tasuki brought her down, lying her between them. Yui did the same with Miyu. The twins giggled when they saw each other, reaching out for one another. Tasuki moved Mao a little closer to her brother and she quite deliberately smacked Miyu. "Mao!"  
"Maow!"  
Miyu didn't cry, but looked at his parents with teary eyes. "Oh, Miyu, Miyu, Miyu." Yui took the girl, scolding Mao as her father took her twin. "Why did you do that?" She looked at her mother with wide-eyed innocence. "You can't fool me, little girl."  
Tasuki rubbed the red spot on the boy's cheek and he caught the bright white light from behind Miyu's ear. "Miyu...Karasuki."  
"Karasuki?"  
"Look." He brushed back the fine amber hair from Miyu's ear and the symbol began to fade away. "Tha' wasn't there before."  
When Yui leaned closer, the girl smacked her brother again and the symbol blazed bright white. "Mao, quit it!"  
Miyu squeaked and brushed the hair back behind his ear. He gave a big yawn. Mao did the same, but looked at her father longingly. Yui laid down, setting the girl down beside her. Tasuki did the same. The twins were close enough for Mao to hit Miyu again, but she didn't. His sister took his hand, sticking it in her mouth. "We're gonna hafta watch her close."  
"More likely we'll have to watch him." She pulled her husband's face to hers and kissed him firmly over their children.  
  
When Miaka and Tamahome went in to see how they were, she smiled. Yui and Tasuki were asleep on the bed. The girl had her son resting between the open 'v' of her shirt and her breasts. One hand was cupping his tiny head, the other over his body. The little fiery-haired girl was curled up like a kitten on the fiery-haired man's chest, chewing on one of his fingers in sleep. He had one hand curled under her bottom so she would stay put.  
"Look Tama..."  
"Well, they all look so innocent." He put an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Now that we know they're all right..."  
Miaka kissed him and they left for their room.  
  
The End 


End file.
